PLEASE HELP! Puerto Vallarta

kthame

Hi Ladies,

So I have a cousin that's a T/A in Miami and she has a deal for $500 for 5 nights in PV; I have three options for a place to stay:

- RIU Palace Pacifico
- Hotel RIU Vallarta
- Palace Resorts: Vallarta Palace

Now, I stayed at the RIU Palace Resort and HATED it. Wouldn't go there for a FREE vacation if I had the chance, it was just THAT bad.

Have any of you been to any of these resorts??? I have to mak a decsion by 5pm today!!! PLEASE HELP!!!

margie3k

I was just at RIU Palace Pacifico in October with a bunch of friends.  We had a great time.  Nice pool, decent restaurants, clean, friendly staff.  I had a friend just go to RIU Vallarta last week and he had a lot of fun with his friends - more of a party atmosphere, I think, and closer to downtown PV.  I think the Palace Pacifico is newer and a little more upscale.  Depends on what you're looking for...  Good luck!

catherinerbirch

Sorry I can't help but you may want to post on the honeymoon board too, they're pretty active and have been helpful for me in the past!

kthame

Thanks Ladies!!

jessNlane52804

I have stayed at Hotel RIU Vallarta. It was ok. I'd say if you're looking for a cheap trip to Mexico, it's not a bad place to stay, but if this is for your honeymoon, I would definitely say NO!!!

It is next door to another RIU hotel so you can go over there for additional pools and restaurants. The hotel itself is nice enough, definitely not 4 star. The pools and beach were fairly nice. It wasn't really a white sand beach, but it was pretty clean and there were good waves if you're into water activities.

The entertainment is cruise ship cheesy, but what else do you expect? I read hundreds of reviews on trip advisor before going and everyone complained about the food. I went with my family after freshman year of college, so I was quite accustomed to ramen and cafeteria food. The food at the RIU was about the same grade. The guacamole was good, there was fresh fruit, and I'm always a fan of frozen yogurt, but it was the same food every single day. In the main dining hall, the same food was served breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day that we were there. I am not joking that they serve quesadillas and tacos for breakfast! The alcohol was low grade as advertised, but you can request better alcohol. The staff was nice, hard working, and did a fantastic job of keeping the kiddos out of the adult pool. They don't speak much english at all, but we were just fine knowing simple conversational spanish. The beds weren't too comfortable, but we requested matress pads that helped somewhat.

I'm sorry that this has been such a random review. I guess to summarize I'd say that this resort is fun if you make it fun and aren't too picky about some of the little things. It is not quite as luxurious as they advertise. If you have any more questions email me at jessica.lane2010@gmail.com.

morgie44

I have heard really good things about multiple palace resorts so I would probably go with them it also has great reviews on trip advisor, but then so does the RIU Palace...

kthame

Thank you SO much for your detailed review. I had the same experience at the RIU in Aruba; food AWFUL! This is for NYE this year, so I didn't have a lot of time to investigate. For 5 nights, we're paying $500 plus airfare so that's NOTHING. I think we'll stick to Palace REsorts Vallarta Palace. I was at the Aventura Spa Palace it was INCREDIBLE! I've been to 2 Sandals and the 1 RIU and they didn't hold a candle to Palace Resorts.

Thanks so much!!

angeliu27

We've been to the Riu Palace in Nuevo Vallarta. 

I generally liked it for the Value.  Not the most posh place I'd been to.  The pools were nice.  It is quite a bit away from the downtown area of Puerto Vallarta.  The bed was pretty firm and uncomfortable.  If you do stay there, ask for a room far from the stairs.  The halls echo with people and the walls are semi thin.

I wouldn't recommend it for a honeymoon.  Great for an inexpensive getaway.

kthame

Thanks Angeliu! I agree...the RIU beds are hard has hell! Not very comfortable.

I think the final answer is going to be the Palace Resorts. They were amazing in Riviera Maya, so I think the decision is MADE!

Looking forward to spending NYE in the sun with my love!

edwinajon

Check out TripAdvisor - kinda like the Yelp for travel.  I rely on it and there are many candid reviews of the hotels as well as restaurants and activites. 

I even checked out my wedding host hotel to see what travelers thought of it!

Have fun in Mexico - the dollar is really strong these days against the Peso!

kthame

Oh I'm all over TripAdvisor! I always write reviews when I can because I know how helpful they are; I wrote a scathing review for the RIU Palace Aruba.

We booked with the Vallarta Palace Hotel! TripAdvisor has it as the #4 hotel in Nuevo Vallarta. So excited!!!